Meant To Be
by CutieBear53
Summary: Electricity fills the air around them, crackling with energy as they stare into each other's eyes. For a brief moment everything else falls away and it's just the two of them, Harry and Hermione. They stare at each other, blue eyes into brown, and a decision has to be made. Will they let their connection burn them up or will they use it to fuel their passion? Harry Potter DH P1 2
1. Chapter 1

Hi! So this is my first fanfic ever, and I'm really hoping people like it! I'm going to try to update it as often as I can, hopefully once every week or two. Before you start reading the story, I just want to let you know a few things. 1) There isn't any dialogue for the first couple of chapters, but after a few I'm going to incorporate some. 2) The story begins at Harry and Hermione's dancing scene in _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1_. 3) I should probably let you know what the different writing styles within the story mean:_  
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**Things in bold** = chapter titles & POV

_Things in italics_ = emphasized words

_**Things in italics and**_ _**bold**_= character thoughts

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this, and don't forget to rate and/or review! Thanks!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, it's characters, or the places within the books/movies. Those all belong to J.K. Rowling. I only created the relationship between Harry and Hermione (and, of course, made up the dialogue)!**

****IMPORTANT: My story is based on the movie world of Harry Potter and not the book world (even though the first is based off of the second they're sort of different). _This means that in my story Harry's eyes are blue_ (as they are in the movies). I realize that this may irritate some of you, but please give my story a chance. Also, please don't review flames about the eye colour change. No author likes to read those, so try to be kind when reviewing please! :) If you want to leave this page right away then I understand and don't hold it against you, but if you choose to stick around for a while then I'm sending you a nice and big virtual hug right now! And if you've read this you get an even bigger hug ;)****

Now, on to chapter 1! Please enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER ONE<span>**** - Harry**

Ron had left them a while ago. Harry didn't know exactly how long it had been; time seemed irrelevant, a distant part of life, here. Away from civilization nothing really seemed to matter; not even the horcruxes. Harry knew they had to find and destroy all of them for the sake of the world, to stop Voldemort from massacring most everyone on the planet, but Harry took a moment to relax. Closing his eyes he slowed his breathing and imagined a different life for himself. His parents alive and well, sending him letters every week to see how his seventh year at Hogwarts was going. Him, seeker and Captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, flying around on his broom (which his father had first taught him how to use), waiting to catch a glimpse of the snitch while a game against Hufflepuff went on around him. Professor Dumbledore alive, not treating Harry any differently than the other students in Hogwarts. Because in this reality there was no Voldemort, and Harry wasn't the Chosen One or the Boy Who Lived. He had all of his friends around him – Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Seamus; everyone – and they did normal things together, like go to Diagon Alley every year before school and visit each other's houses. They didn't practice Defence Against the Dark Arts except in school because they were all just normal teenagers of the wizarding world. In this world, Harry's friends had met his parents; more importantly, though, _Harry_ had met his parents, and life for him was perfect and normal, just as it should have been all along.

The dream couldn't last forever, though, and soon Harry had to come back to reality. Just as with the Mirror of Erised, he shouldn't focus on the life he _could _have had, the things that _should_ have happened. It would only bring pain and misfortune, and he had already had enough of that to last a lifetime.

Sighing, Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. That was not his life and never would be; he needed to let go of his dream and move on, because there were more important things to focus on right now. Like the horcruxes that they still needed to find and destroy. Like the fact that Ron had left them and probably wouldn't come back. Like how lost and sad Hermione had been since he had gone.

**_Hermione_****.**

Harry knew that Ron and Hermione had something going on between them, some connection they weren't willing to acknowledge; he'd always known. They were the only two who couldn't see it, or rather, chose not to see it. But Harry also knew that neither of them was ever going to act on it, and eventually they would both move past it and forget. Right now, though, it was hard for him to see Hermione so downtrodden, to see the pain in her eyes even when she smiled. Hermione, who had always been so strong and fierce. He tried to help, though, to make her smile or laugh when he could, to help her forget for even a moment that this never-ending horror was actually their lives.

After all, that's what you did for the people you loved.

Hearing a radio come on in the tent, Harry gave one last look at the darkening sky above and walked over to the entrance of the tent. Before going inside he vowed to himself to make Hermione happy, even if it was only for a moment. In time she would get back to normal, but until then he had to do everything in his power to help her feel like herself again, for as long as he was able to.

Opening the flap in the tent he walked in, seeing Hermione sitting on the steps nearest the radio, feet on the first step up and arms wrapped around her legs, a dejected expression on her face. In that moment she looked vulnerable and fragile. Those were two things he had never associated with Hermione, and it strengthened his resolve.

She didn't look up as Harry took a seat in the chair close-by, or fidget when he gazed at her for a few seconds. She didn't even seem to notice him until he was standing right in front of her. She glanced at him for a moment and took the hand he offered, sadness in her eyes. He needed to wipe that away.

Taking both of her hands, he pulled her to a standing position and took the horcrux necklace from around her neck, tossing it onto the bed beside them. Taking her hands in his again, he slowly pulled her away from the radio and into the middle of the space, and, hearing the song that came on the radio, he began to dance with her. He started out slow, moving her arms with the hands he was still holding, smiling when he saw her smile at him and start to dance, too. He picked up the pace and soon they were both grinning from ear to ear. It was something fun, and they both needed that right now with everything going on.

Harry twirled Hermione around and then pulled her into his arms, one hand on her back and the other clutching her hand. As they swayed from side to side and became a little more carefree their dance became sillier, Harry being spun instead of Hermione, until they finally settled on slowly swaying, resting their heads on each other's shoulder.

The music began to fade out and the air in the tent suddenly changed, intensifying and becoming charged; both parties could feel it. As the music finally faded completely they gradually slowed down their dancing until they weren't dancing at all. Hermione pulled away a couple of inches and they just looked at each other. Harry knew what he wanted to do, and he tilted his head slightly to convey that to Hermione, who also tilted hers slightly. As they looked into each other's eyes Harry could tell she wanted it too, but after a second she pulled away completely. Giving him one last soulful glance she looked to the ground, turned away, and walked out of the tent. Harry watched her go, and somehow he felt like he had ended up doing more damage than good.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**** - Harry**

After Hermione left the tent Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and sat heavily down into the chair he had been sitting in before. He couldn't believe what had almost just happened. He had almost kissed Hermione. They came so close, but she had pulled away at the last second and left, looking worse for wear than when he first walked into the tent that night. **_But why had she pulled away?_** He could tell she had wanted to kiss him, and Ron wasn't here, so what was the problem? Did she feel a loyalty to Ron even though they had never been together? Was she afraid of jeopardizing her friendship with Harry if things went south? She knew he had called it off with Ginny…

Resting his arms on his thighs and putting his head in his hands, Harry thought back to when he had told Ginny to move on…

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><p><em>Earlier that year…<em>

"Harry, I don't understand. Why are you saying this to me?" With furrowed brows and tearful eyes Ginny looked confused, like she couldn't grasp what Harry was saying, let alone why he was saying it.

"Gin, you need to move on and forget about me. Who knows what will happen when this is finally finished? I can't have you sitting around waiting for me when there's a chance I won't even be here to wait for. You're better off without me, living your life with someone else, someone who'll be alive when this is over."

"But, Harry – "

"No buts, Ginny. I've made up my mind."

Looking angrily at him her eyes hardened. "Don't I get a say in all of this?"

Looking at her sadly he brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and her eyes softened again, her lips tugging up at the corners. She reached up with her hand and clasped the fingers that rested against her face, and he wanted to kiss her just to ease the pain he was putting her through. He couldn't, though; it was safer for her this way.

Sighing softly he pulled his hand away from her cheek and rested it against his side, hers still holding on to his tightly. "You're going to hate me for a while, Gin, but one day you'll come to understand. It's better this way. You'll see."

For the first time she said nothing, seemed incapable of saying anything. Ginny Weasley was speechless…with sadness over what was taking place and how she could do nothing to stop it. Once Harry made up his mind about something he didn't back down, and the finality of the whole situation was beginning to hit Ginny full force.

Pulling her hand to his lips he pressed a light kiss to the back of it. "Bye, Gin. Take care of yourself and don't hate me too much." And he let go of her hand and left the room, fighting the urge to go to her and take back everything he just said. He needed to keep her safe, though, so he continued to walk away.

As he was leaving the room he heard her whisper behind him, "I could never hate you."

He kept walking.

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><p>Looking back Harry knew how he must have hurt her and that she may never fully forgive him for it, but he also knew that it was the best thing for her. It meant that she would be safe. If he was being honest with himself, though, he had to admit that he had other reasons for breaking up with Ginny, and they all involved Hermione. Ginny needed to be with someone who would love her more than the world itself and would put her above everything, even the person themselves, and while Harry loved Ginny he knew that he had feelings for someone else that would, ultimately, stop him from being that person for her. It wasn't right for him to hold onto her when he felt something stronger for someone else; she deserved better than that.<p>

So he let her go.

Getting up from the chair Harry quickly walked over to the tent flap, looking out of the small opening. Hermione stood about 50 feet away from the tent, looking up to the sky which had completely darkened now and was only lit by the stars. She looked peaceful in that moment, like all was well with the world.

Harry couldn't believe that he was about to ruin it.

He walked over to her, careful of where he was stepping in the dark; these rocks were dangerous and if you stepped on the wrong spot you could fall and break something. Stopping beside her he looked at the sky. It really was a beautiful night out.

He looked at Hermione and studied her profile. When she felt his stare and looked at him he didn't turn away, ashamed at being caught. He just kept staring. With anyone else it might have felt awkward, but there was something different about Harry, and it felt comfortable instead.

Harry turned his whole body toward her and slowly lifted his hand, cupping her cheek. Her brown eyes widened at the intimate contact, but she didn't pull away.

His bright blue eyes roamed her face, taking everything in, and he saw her swallow thickly. So she was nervous, too. Well at least he wasn't the only one. As he began to lean in he sincerely hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself. He didn't want her to turn and away and reject him; if the shame of that happening didn't kill him then he might do himself a favor.

Hermione saw as he started to lean in, and she felt torn. On the one hand, she liked Ron somehow and this felt like a betrayal to him. However, on the other hand, Ron had left her, and Harry was _right here_. As she looked at him she knew that what she felt for him was as far from platonic as a feeling could be, and she genuinely _wanted_ to kiss him. Should she do it, though? It would definitely cause problems within their group; Harry had just broken it off with Ginny a few months ago and Hermione was sure that Ron liked her as well. Did she want to stir up all that trouble over some feelings that probably wouldn't even last?

She wanted to say no immediately, but that's not what she ended up thinking. **_Yes_**. As much as she liked Ron, she also liked Harry, and he was choosing to try and be with her, not off somewhere doing God-knows-what. She and Harry had always been honest with each other, and now was one of those times where she needed to be honest with not only him, but also herself. She wanted to see where this thing with Harry would lead, and, feeling determined and satisfied with her decision, she tilted her head back slightly, showing him that she was ready.

Seeing her movement, he paused and looked at her, asking with his eyes, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she whispered softly, closing the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

So this next chapter's a little short (sorry about that!); because of this I'm posting two chapters at once, the first from Harry's perspective and the second from Hermione's. I hope this makes up for the shortness of Chapter Three, and I hope they sound okay!

**Also, I've had a few questions about this recently and I realized that I wasn't clear on something: this story is based purely on the Harry Potter movies, specifically****_ The Deathly Hallows_****. This is why Harry's eyes are blue and not green in my fanfic. Sorry that I wasn't clear on this earlier; I honestly meant to mention it and I guess it slipped my mind!**

Anyway, enjoy! :D

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER THREE<span>**** - Harry**

The fact that _Hermione_ had kissed _him_ instead of the other way around surprised Harry. What surprised him even more than that, though, was how much he enjoyed kissing her. As soon as their lips touched it was as if he had never truly been alive before then, like he was just pretending at living and now he felt completely free to do it. He kissed her back passionately, but kept it pretty conservative…that is, until that soft sigh escaped from her lips. After that the pretense of conservative was dead and gone and Harry couldn't (didn't want to) get it back.

A chill went through him and he grasped her hips in his hands. He felt Hermione clutch frantically at the front of his shirt and he increased the pressure of his lips on hers until she gave him passage, opening her mouth up to his. As their lips and tongues explored each other in a way they never had before, Harry felt sensations he thought only happened in books. He felt a shock go up his spine, electric in its power, and he took his hands off of her hips, only to grab her face and bring it even closer to his. Hermione whimpered and her hands suddenly moved, one clutching down his back over his shoulder while the other tangled itself into his hair. She pulled herself as close as she possibly could and Harry moved his hands to accommodate her; he placed one on the small of her back and the other on the back of her neck, holding her in a tight position that she couldn't (didn't want to) escape from.

Just when Harry worried that they were going to take this too far, Hermione pulled back, breathless. She looked up at Harry through her lashes and realized his breathing was in the same ragged state as hers. Biting her bottom lip she smiled shyly up at him through her lashes and he easily (and happily) smiled back at her.

Leaning up slowly she kissed him softly one, two, three more times, seeming to take her time with the last, and she backed away with her hand over her mouth, giggling softly.

Harry didn't think he had ever heard a more beautiful sound.

As she turned around and headed back into the tent Harry looked back up at the sky and thought about what had just happened. **_He'd actually done it; he'd actually kissed Hermione!_**And while he should be worried over what people like Ron and Ginny would think, he couldn't. All he could think about was how perfect the last few minutes had been. It was like he and Hermione had been made for each other, the ways their lips automatically molded to one another, as if they had known just how the other person liked to be kissed.

He really had tried not to get out of control with her, but as soon as she made that one low sigh he had lost it. By the time he realized what he was doing it was too late; he was kissing her with everything he had and she was kissing him back in the _exact same way_. It sounds phony and cliché, but it was as if he had been in the hot desert for days without water, when suddenly he found it. In Hermione. In that one kiss he tried to show her exactly what he felt for her, and he was pretty sure he had succeeded, if the way she was kissing him back was any indication.

Harry smiled and laughed lightly. He felt buoyant, like he could fly without a broom, as if he was filled with helium instead of water and oxygen and everything else. It was a crazy feeling that Hermione had just given him, and he was never going to get enough of it.

He started walking back to the tent, feeling happier than he could ever remember feeling. Upon entering, he saw that Hermione was already fast asleep in her bed. He really loved her, she just didn't know it yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**** - Hermione**

As soon as her lips made contact with Harry's she knew instantly that she had made the right decision. Kissing him was absolutely _breathtaking_ (seriously, her breath was pretty much gone; she should probably be worried about that). He kissed her softly, almost delicately, as if scared she would break if he was too rough. His tender way with her touched her in places she didn't know could be touched by a gesture, and suddenly it wasn't enough. She loved that he wanted to be so careful with her, but she wanted heat and passion all of the sudden. She wanted _more_. That thought was unintentionally accompanied by a small sigh on her part, and Harry shivered slightly and abruptly deepened the kiss.

It was like he could read her mind, knew exactly what she wanted. Increasing the pressure of his lips on hers he gripped her hips and she couldn't keep her hands idle any longer. She clutched at his shirt almost desperately, feeling his heartbeat underneath her hands. She needed to be sure that this was real because it definitely didn't feel like it; it felt more like a fantasy. Persuaded by his lips, she tentatively opened up her mouth for his exploration and met his tongue with her own. **_Who knew that kissing could feel like this?_** Even with Krum it had never felt nearly this wild and unrestrained. With Harry, though, her inhibitions were completely obliterated and she felt alive in a new and exciting way. Nobody had ever made her feel like this.

Then Harry grabbed her face in his hands, bringing them closer together. It wasn't close enough for Hermione, though. With a whimper her hands moved up and found his shoulders, one moving to clutch his back while the other found its way to his hair and tangled itself in it. Using her physical hold on him she brought them closer still, going on her tiptoes to pull herself as close to him as she possibly could. There was literally no space between them at this point, and Hermione was okay with that. He was bringing her heat, he was bringing her passion, and if they weren't outside in the open she was sure she would have jumped him by now. The connection between them was just that intense.

Harry moved one hand to the small of her back and the other to her neck, pressing their bodies tightly together until they could barely breathe. That didn't stop them, though. Hermione kissed Harry like her life depended on it, like his lips were the only thing keeping her from death, like the taste of his mouth would keep her alive forever as long as they never stopped.

Eventually Hermione realized that they did, in fact, need to stop. While it may have seemed like time had been frozen in this moment, it really hadn't, and she knew they needed their rest for the long day ahead of them tomorrow.

With great reluctance Hermione pulled back. Her breathing was ragged, her heart beating erratically, and she noticed that Harry was breathing just as heavily in front of her. She smiled up at him through her lashes, biting her lip and feeling shy and happy at this turn in their relationship. She was only a little surprised to feel her heart flutter when he smiled dazzlingly back down at her, his bright blue eyes crinkling at the corners and sparkling with bliss.

After seeing that look in his eyes, she couldn't help herself. She kissed him again. Once, twice, then a final third time for good measure, taking an extra second or two to savour the taste of his lips on the last one.

Biting her lip again she backed away from him slowly, smiling and feeling utterly at ease with this new twist in her life. He was Harry and she was Hermione, and if this hot make-out session was any clue, her guess would be that they could get together this second and end up lasting for a long time to come, maybe even the rest of their lives.

Turning her back to him she walked back over to the tent, opening the flap and going to her bed to lie down and think about what had just happened.

**_She had kissed Harry!_** It was like a dream-come-true. She had had a crush on Harry since the day she met him, but she was just a kid then and they were just friends. Then he started having feelings for Ginny and she could see he had it bad. Even after all of their years together as friends Harry still hadn't seen her as anything other than that. She was his girl friend, but not his girlfriend. She knew she never would be, so she did the smart thing and moved on. She'd had feelings for Ron for a while now, and she suspected he felt the same, but he had never made a move and she wasn't about to be the first to do it, so they were friends who were attracted to one another.

When Harry had broken up with Ginny she hadn't thought anything of it. If Harry had liked her, wouldn't he have already told her by that point? It seemed ridiculous to hope, so she didn't. Now to find out that he liked her...It was surreal.

But then Hermione's mind turned to more unpleasant topics. It was really insane, what they had just done. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, kissing Harry like that. He had just broken up with Ginny a few months ago! One of her best friends! And now she was kissing her ex? Some friend she was! She liked Harry, she really did, but what would really come of this? She forced herself to be realistic, because her heart wanted to think about her and Harry getting married someday and having children, and that probably wasn't going to happen.

She had to stop this before it began. And soon.

Hearing Harry walking up to the tent, she quickly flipped to her side facing the tent wall and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. The last thing she needed was for him to see the resolve in her eyes and start asking her questions she wasn't prepared to answer. Tomorrow morning, maybe, but until then she had the night to figure out what in God's name she was going to say to him.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello to all of my lovely and amazing readers! Get ready now, because you're in for a pretty long chapter (at least, long compared to my others)! It's roughly 2500 words, but I'm pretty sure that the majority of you will enjoy it :) I know I had a blast writing it!

First off, I would like to thank everybody who has given my fanfic a chance, and even more if you've read each chapter and are planning to read until the end! If you've kept up with it, favourited, followed, or reviewed it I absolutely adore you! 3 Thank you so much for giving me faith in my own fanfic! Haha :) I'd specifically like to thank **Micky-D12**, **gonekrazy3000**,** starboy454**, **anotherboarduser**, and **HarryHermioneEdwardBella** for giving me such kind reviews and making my week! The fact that you all took the time to read my story so far and then go on to say such nice things about it is just crazy heartwarming!

Second, I'd just like to warn you all that the next two or three chapters after this one are scenes taken directly from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1_. **I own nothing**. I added in some Harry/Hermione romanticism, and used these scenes because I thought they would be useful to my fanfic. There are looks and such that Harry and Hermione share in these scenes that I just couldn't help slipping into the story; they were too good to pass up, in my opinion! I'm sorry if this is disappointing to you all, but I wanted to show a little bit of the emotional connection that Harry and Hermione share on top of the physical one. I hope I was able to do this! I'm going to keep updating, probably at least 3 times this weekend, so please stay tuned for more! If you stick around I can almost guarantee you won't be disappointed ;)

Thank you to everyone who has viewed my story at this point (all 2256 of you, OH MY GOSH!); I can't thank you enough! And again, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed/kept up to date with my fanfic! YOU ARE ALL SO AMAZING! :D I hope you all continue to read and (hopefully) enjoy my fanfic! As always, reviews are completely welcome, even if you'd like to criticize or share a thought/idea you think I should use! Anything is welcome, and I will always credit someone for an idea that was theirs! ;)

Thank you everyone!

- CutieBear53 xoxoxoxo

P.S. If you've gotten through this crazy-long message you are some of the nicest people I've ever met! Haha :)

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER FIVE<span>**** - Hermione**

She opened her eyes the next morning to the sound of rain pattering the top of the tent. It was a good thing they had thought to spell it to be waterproof.

Next she noticed that Harry had yet to wake up. She sighed in relief; that would give her some extra time to think about what she was going to say to him about what had happened last night. She hoped he would understand and not be too angry with her; the last thing she wanted was for her friendship to be ruined over what she had initiated last night.

She suddenly knew what she would tell him: that she didn't want to take this any further and run the chance of ruining their friendship. That would definitely work; people used that excuse all of the time! It also made sense for her to say that because she, Harry, and Ron all knew that Hermione was the logical thinker of the group, and that was definitely a logical thought! Yes, that's what she would say, and Harry would have to accept it because it made perfect sense and was perfectly reasonable.

She quietly got up out of bed and went to the other room to get dressed, taking the horcrux with her; she sat down on the bench when she was finished and gently pulled the horcrux on over her hair. She knew that she should probably eat since it had been a while since the last time she had, but the nervous fluttering within her stomach kept her from doing it.

She settled for sitting there fiddling with her hands in her lap, mentally counting the seconds until she heard Harry inevitably wake up. Her breath suddenly got caught in her throat, and it was all she could do not to run into the pouring rain outside just to avoid seeing Harry until she absolutely had to. She needed to at least _act_ calm if this whole situation was going to go the way she wanted, so, holding her head high and beginning to breathe again, she slowly got up from her position on the bench and went to greet Harry.

"Morning Harry!" Forcing a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes she walked back into the other room and retrieved her wand. "I wasn't sure what you would want for breakfast so I thought I may as well wait for you to get up."

Looking at her sleepily he sat up and scratched his head, reaching to the table beside his bed for his glasses. "What time is it?"

Glancing at her watch she replied, "Almost 9 o'clock. I was getting a little worried you'd sleep until the late afternoon." She said this with a small smile, and when he smiled back at her she made her face stay the same, even if his smile did give her butterflies.

"Oh, believe me, if we weren't in the middle of searching for horcruxes and trying to defeat a dark wizard I definitely could." He laughed lightly and got out of his bed, stretching for a few seconds. Hermione tried not to stare when his shirt rode up, showing off a strip of his lean stomach, but after last night she found that even more difficult to do than before. Kissing him had opened up a door she hadn't realized still existed after so many years, and with that open door came the urge to do many things to Harry, most of which Hermione was surprised by; they definitely weren't things that good girls did. Right now she wanted that shirt of his to completely disappear so they could continue where they left off last night and she could feel his stomach muscles beneath her hands. The impulse was so strong that she had to physically hold her hands together to keep them from acting on it without her conscious permission.

Oh the problems of a hormonal teenage girl.

Finished stretching, Harry gathered some clothes and went to the other room to change. As he passed Hermione he said, "I'm just going to change and then we can eat."

Looking anywhere but at him, Hermione replied, "Sure, sure, that's fine."

When he was out of her line of sight Hermione let out a soft breath and visibly slumped over in relief. She hadn't realized how tense she had been around Harry. She needed to get this conversation out of the way or she would never be able to relax again!

Hearing him coming back she turned towards the door and plastered a smile on her face. When he came into the room she asked, "So, what did you want for breakfast?"

He walked over to his bed to set down his pajamas. "Whatever you want is fine." His back was to her so she couldn't see his face, but he seemed preoccupied, probably thinking about the horcruxes she imagined.

Going to the other room with the table and benches, where they had changed, Hermione spelled up some pancakes, bacon, toast, and pumpkin juice for them. At that moment Harry came into the room, smiling at the smell of the food.

"Thanks, 'Mione." He began to reach for her, but Hermione pretended she hadn't noticed and sat down on one of the benches. Harry stood in the same place for a second, but then moved to take a seat at the bench opposite her, all the while giving her a funny look. Again she pretended not to notice as she piled some food on her plate.

"So," she began after a few minutes of awkward silence, "how long are we staying here?"

Glancing up at her from his food for a moment he replied, "I guess until I can figure out where we should head next."

She nodded her understanding and they quickly fell into silence once again. It wasn't comfortable silence and Hermione wished she could think of something to say. She couldn't, though, and it seemed that Harry couldn't either; he had a thoughtful look on his face, brows furrowed like he was thinking hard, yet he remained silent.

Finally, at the end of the meal, Hermione could stand it no longer and felt like she had to get her conversation out of the way in order for things to go back to normal. "Look, Harry, about what happened last night – "

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like where this is going," he muttered, studying her face hard.

"You probably won't," she answered. "But I have to say it all the same."

Sighing unhappily and with a frown on his face, Harry looked away from her, muttering, "Go on then."

Hermione gulped and took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation, she could see that now. She had thought that it would be a simple conversation with an easy fix; how very wrong she was. Placing her trembling hands in her lap, she looked at Harry as she spoke, hoping she sounded much more calm and collected than she felt at the moment. "What happened last night can't happen again, Harry. It was a mistake."

After a pause he finally spoke. "And why do you think that?"

"Because we're friends."

"So? Friends can have feelings for one another."

"Yes, but we're best friends, Harry, and we have been since we started at Hogwarts. I like having you in my life and I love how we get along, but if we start something it will end badly."

His jaw became tight, but he still wouldn't look at her; he was being particularly stubborn about this. "There's no way that you could possibly know that, Hermione."

"It probably will, and I don't want to risk our friendship on the off-chance that it won't. You're my best friend and having you in my life means too much to me. I don't want to ruin the amazing friendship we have on a relationship that would most likely never work out in the end."

He finally looked at her, and with the way he stared, so adoring, she almost took back her words. She deeply wanted to, but she had to be strong and stick to her plan. That was the only way to save the friendship they had and not betray Ginny, or Ron for that matter.

"I don't think it was a mistake, Hermione, and I think you know it, too. I think that you're just saying all of this because you're scared."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and challenged him with her words, wanting to hear him say it, but at the same time not wanting to hear it, knowing that once she did her resolve would start to crumble. "And what exactly am I supposedly scared of?"

"Not having control," he easily answered. "Friendships, the best of them, can last a lifetime, but relationships can end before a person has a chance to blink. You don't have a say sometimes when they end, and that scares you because you like to have control of things. But if we're being honest, that's not even the real reason that you're saying this, is it, Hermione?"

Her eyes widened subtly and she swallowed thickly. Harry noticed. "Why won't you give us a chance, Hermione?" He whispered.

Her eyes began to tear up and she looked away from him, saying nothing. After another minute of tense silence she stood up and cleared the table with magic, turning to leave the room. Before she had taken more than two steps, though, Harry was standing in front of her. She automatically took a step back. She made the mistake of looking at his eyes, and when she saw them focused on her she froze. His face was completely open to her, blue eyes sad yet curious, and there was even a bit of anger in them as well. He stepped towards her slowly and still she couldn't move, hypnotized by his eyes.

Placing both hands on her cheeks, he asked quietly, "Why are you saying this, Hermione? What changed from last night to today?"

Finally able to speak, she whispered, "I realized that last night was a mistake."

"And why do you think that? The truth this time. Please."

She swallowed as his eyes silently pleaded with her. He just wanted to know _why_. "You just broke it off with Ginny a few months ago, Harry. She's one of my best friends, and you're her ex. We can't do this to her; it's cruel and wrong." Her voice started out as a whisper, but by the end it had risen to a normal volume.

He looked at her for a minute, he eyes studying every part of her face. Her tear-filled brown eyes, her flushed cheeks, her nose, her furrowed brows, and his eyes finally landed on her full pink lips, resting there the longest. Harry slowly leaned in, and Hermione felt torn, wanting to kiss him again and yet knowing that she shouldn't. As he leaned closer Hermione felt herself get excited, anticipating the kiss more than dreading it. Just as he was an inch away from her lips and she decided to just give in, he leaned farther to the left than she had expected and pressed a soft kiss to the spot beneath her right ear.

"Did that feel wrong?" He asked her quietly, his face still resting by her ear.

Hermione swallowed and shook her head. Harry moved over slowly and kissed the underside of her jaw. Hermione loved the feeling of it and she could feel herself getting weak in the knees, her heart beginning to beat faster. Before she knew what was happening, Harry moved again and kissed the underside of her jaw on the left side. Hermione gasped from the unexpected touch, beginning to tremble from the thought of where he'd probably kiss next.

"Did that feel like a mistake?" He brushed the bridge of his nose down her throat.

"No," she gasped.

Harry moved his face away so he could stare into her eyes. No more than an inch away from her face, he began to lean in, and it was all Hermione could do not to pull him towards her and kiss him herself. His lips brushed hers softly. "Do you still want to be just friends?" He whispered, his breath on her lips.

She closed her eyes and had barely shaken her head when he pressed his lips fully against hers. She quickly responded and kissed him back softly. This was a kiss they had only had for a moment last night, because last night that wasn't what they had wanted. Right now, though, it was perfect, and Hermione couldn't think of a better way to kiss someone. She felt loved and cherished in that moment, like Harry had dreamed of kissing her the way she had dreamed of kissing him for so long. It was wonderful and magical and –

And Harry was suddenly pulling away.

She looked up at him quizzically, eyebrows furrowed, silently asking him why he had pulled away from such a lovely kiss, when he spoke. "My, you do have an easily persuaded mind, Hermione. It's almost as if you don't know what you want." He chuckled quietly at the expression on her face. "I think you need to take a few days to really find yourself and figure out what it is exactly that you're looking for, and what you truly want in your life."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in disbelief, unshed tears suddenly drying right up as she put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"

He grinned widely at her, and raised his chin, gesturing to her. "Yeah. Let me know how that goes, will you?" He backed away still watching her and grinning. "I'm going to go make my bed and then we can leave, okay?" Without another word he turned and walked to the other room, leaving Hermione standing there.

She couldn't believe he had just done that. **_Why did I let him kiss me?_** **_You were supposed to stay strong, Hermione, so why did you give in?_** Frustrated with herself, Hermione stomped out of the room and into the other, making her bed and ignoring Harry completely. **_If he thinks he can just kiss me whenever he wants to he's sadly mistaken!_** She would not let Harry manipulate her with his kisses. He wasn't her boyfriend and she would be making sure he didn't kiss her again. They were just friends, and Hermione was determined that they stay that way and not change their relationship.

Even if that was the sole thing Hermione wanted in the whole world right now. Next time she would be strong and firm, and she would use the next few days he was giving her to steel her resolve and prepare for his next plan of attack. Knowing Harry it was going to come at the exact moment when she least expected it.


	6. Chapter 6

So what did you guys think of that last chapter? It wasn't particularly steamy or anything, but I liked that it showed a different, teasing side of Harry that we never really got to see in the books or movies.

So, just to remind you all, this is where the movie scene chapters start. There should only be two or three of them in a row right now (at least two), starting with this one. I know they're not really original or creative, but I hope by the end of the chapters you can see why I decided to slip them in here!

Anyway, happy reading! :)

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER SIX<span>**** - Harry**

Later that afternoon, Harry sat on his bed trying to figure out how to open the snitch that Dumbledore had left him in his will. Harry remembered that the snitch held flesh memories, and had been holding it for days, trying to get it to open, but it hadn't.

That's when he suddenly remembered something. The first time he had ever caught the snitch he hadn't held it in his hand; he had practically swallowed it!

Feeling nervous, Harry held the snitch up his mouth for a few seconds, hoping that something happened. Otherwise, he was all out of ideas.

He took it away from his mouth, and was disappointed to see that nothing had changed. As he watched, though, writing suddenly appeared on the side: "I open at the close". Upon seeing this Harry quickly got up from his bed, calling Hermione so he could tell her the news.

When he got outside of the tent he found her sitting 40 feet away from the tent with a book in her lap. "Hermione!" He began, walking over to her. "You were right, "he said, referring to an earlier conversation they'd had, "Snitches have flesh memories, but I didn't catch the first snitch with my hand; I almost swallowed it." Coming up to her he handed her the snitch to read for herself and sat down in front of her.

"I open at the close," Hermione read.

"Yeah, what do you think that means?"

"I don't know." She looked to be just as confused as Harry about the writing, and kept looking from the snitch up to Harry and back again. After a moment she, almost reluctantly, told him, "I found something as well," gesturing to the book she had set aside. As she turned to pick it up Harry moved to sit beside her instead of across from her. He saw that she had been looking at The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the book that Dumbledore had left for her.

Opening the cover to the title page so he could see she said, "At first I thought it was an eye, but now I don't think it is. It isn't a rune, and it isn't anywhere in Spellman's Syllabary. Somebody inked it in." She pointed to the symbol, a circle with a vertical line through the middle inside of a triangle. "It isn't part of the book; somebody drew it."

"Luna's dad was wearing that at Bill and Fleur's wedding."

Harry looked at Hermione for a moment and she looked back, both wondering what exactly all of this meant and how they were going to use it to find and destroy the horcruxes. It was obviously important, or Dumbledore wouldn't have left them the clues within the items, but they just didn't know what it all meant right now.

"Why would someone draw it in a children's book?" Hermione wondered aloud, and Harry couldn't help but wonder the exact same thing. None of it made any sense.

Silence ensued, and Harry took the opportunity to voice a thought he'd been having for a few days now. "Hermione, I've been thinking…I want to go to Godric's Hollow." She looked at him a bit skeptically so he continued before she could say anything. "It's where I was born, it's where my parents died…"

Hermione sighed. "That's exactly why he'll expect you to go, because it means something to you." She stood up and turned to go.

"Well, yeah, but it means something to him, too, Hermione," Harry stammered a bit, trying to get her to listen. He watched as she started to pick up her books. "You-Know-Who almost died there! Isn't that exactly the type of place that he'd be likely to hide a horcrux?" He got up as he said this, just in case she decided to walk as he was talking. He wanted to make sure he could follow.

"It's dangerous Harry." She paused for minute, sighing, and Harry knew that she would agree to go, even though she thought it was a bad idea. Her next statement confirmed this. "But even I have to admit recently I've been thinking we'll _have_ to go there."

They began walking back to the tent. "I think it's possible something else is hidden there, "she continued.

"What?" Harry stopped in his tracks, and Hermione, seeing that he had fallen behind, turned to look back at him.

"The sword." She turned away and kept on walking, Harry stumbling over the rocks to catch up with her. "If Dumbledore wanted _you_ to find it, but didn't want it falling into the Ministry's hands where better to hide it than the birthplace of the founder of Gryffindor?"

They stopped again, still a ways away from the tent, just looking at each other, both of them thinking about what Hermione had said. As he kept looking at her, though, Harry's train of thought turned to something entirely different. For the last few hours he had been completely focused on the horcruxes and trying to open the snitch, and then he and Hermione had both found things they needed to share. With that conversation behind him and having a chance to just look at Hermione for a minute, though, he started thinking about the night before and this morning. Things had definitely changed between them, and the proof was in the fact that Harry couldn't stop staring at Hermione's lips. Of course, the rest of her face was absolutely beautiful, even with having to live in a tent right now, but her lips had captured his full attention.

"Hermione –" He started, staring into her brown eyes. He wanted to talk to her about their relationship, but suddenly couldn't think of what to say, so he stopped talking abruptly.

She brushed some hair out of his eyes and away from his forehead, smiling slightly, and Harry lost his train of thought. It felt like such an intimate gesture after what had happened between them, and his breath stilled for a second in anticipation of what would come next.

She pulled her hand away and rested it at her side once again, pausing. They stared at one another in silence, until Hermione finally broke it. "Don't ever let me give you a haircut again."

He nodded and smiled at her, knowing that that was the end of their conversation, at least for now. She smiled back and walked away, Harry staring longingly at her retreating back and wishing he would have said something.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Sorry that I haven't added any more chapters in the past few days; life's been a little crazy. I meant to do a lot of writing this weekend, but I was a little busy :P Here's the next chapter, though! :D

So I mentioned this as an author's note at the beginning of Chapter Three, but since I've been getting more questions about it I'll mention it again. Harry's eyes are blue and I meant for them to be. I've read the books and know that his eyes are green in them, but since I'm basing this fanfic off of the plot-line of the movies I decided to make them the colour they were in the movies instead of the books. So I made them blue. It didn't make sense to me to use the plot of the movies, but then use the physical traits of the characters outlined in the books (i.e.: Harry's green eyes, Hermione's large front teeth, Ron's long nose, etc.). I'm sorry if this is upsetting or irritating to anyone, but I hope you all read my story anyway!

So I'm sorry for that long explanation that may or may not have been necessary, and I'm sorry that it's taken me longer than expected to get this chapter uploaded, but here it is and I hope you all enjoy it! :D

Happy reading, folks! :)

P.S. This one's a little bit short, so I'm going to get another one posted ASAP to make up for it ;)

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER SEVEN<span>**** – Hermione**

The first thing she felt was the snow crunching under her boots. They had just apparated to Godric's Hollow and she heard it as they landed on the snow. The streets were quiet at this time of the night, and that combined with the softly falling snow made for a beautiful scene.

Hermione couldn't help her sense of dread, though. She didn't like that they had come, liked it even less that they hadn't come during the day, and if it wasn't for the fact that coming here was important to Harry, she would have made them leave as soon as they had arrived. Her sense of danger was that strong.

"I still think we should have used Polyjuice Potion," she told him quietly.

Looking around at the houses that lined both sides of the street they stood in, Harry replied, "No. This is where I was born. I'm not returning as someone else."

She looked at him and felt sad all of the sudden, for Harry. This is where Voldemort had changed Harry's life forever, and as much as she felt they should leave immediately, she also understood that Harry needed to be here. His parents had died here and he needed the chance to look around.

The chime of a clock tower sounded, and they both turned their heads toward it. Hermione looped her arm through his, making the excuse to herself that he needed the support of her physical closeness. He looked over at her and they started walking. They were startled when they heard voices behind them, but it was just some men leaving the pub down the street.

"Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve. Listen." They were standing near a church and could hear the choir singing within it. Time flew away from them away from civilization and they rarely knew the date, but even this was surprising to the both of them. They had been away for over three months now, and they still hadn't been able to destroy the horcrux necklace. They only had so much time, and they needed to get moving is they were going to finish this before Voldemort gained his full power.

Harry suddenly noticed a small, dark graveyard that lay behind the church, and, in that moment, it was the only thing that he could see.

"Do you think they might be in there, Hermione? My mum and dad?" He continued to stare at the graveyard, wondering if maybe he'd be able to visit them finally. They were his parents and he'd never even been to their burial site.

"Yeah, I think they would," Hermione answered softly.

Without saying anything they walked over to and through the gate at the entrance of the graveyard. With the fluffy sheet of snow that was covering the headstones it almost looked like a happy place, but Harry couldn't forget for one second that the dead were buried here, that _his parents_ might be buried here.

With feet of lead Harry walked down the rows of headstones, reading each that he passed, Hermione helping. He suddenly stopped, his feet frozen solid to the ground where he stood. "In Loving Memory of James Potter and Lilly Potter". He heard Hermione call for him, but he could move, let alone speak. **_I found them_**. He couldn't believe this was happening, and even though he didn't remember his parents all that well, seeing their gravesites felt like a physical blow to him, as if someone had come up and punched him in the gut. His heart began to race and his breathing became heavy; he fought back the tears.

He heard rather than saw Hermione walk up behind him, and he felt her stare on the back of his head like it was burning a hole through his skull. She moved, though, to kneel before the graves and spell a white rose wreath to sit before them. Harry looked down at her and felt so grateful that she had done that. As she stood up and back away a bit, the tears were becoming harder to keep away, and Harry sniffled, wiping his nose and breathing out sadly.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione," he said thickly.

"Merry Christmas, Harry, "she whispered back sympathetically, resting her head on his shoulder after a moment. Together they gazed sadly at the graves of Harry's parents, and though it was hard for him to be standing before them he was glad he had come. It felt like he was truly honouring them and their sacrifice for once, and he was glad that he had finally done this.

He was also extremely grateful for Hermione's presence. It was hard for him to be here, but having her beside him and showing her support and friendship meant a lot to him. It made the whole situation easier for him, and he was happy that she had agreed to come; he wasn't sure that he could have done this alone. Her support with everything that had happened in the past few years meant everything to him, and somehow he was going to show her that, whether or not she wanted him to.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys! First, I'd like to apologize for being MIA and all. It wasn't my intention or anything, but I've been experiencing a little bit of writer's bloc recently that's been hard to get myself out of. I did get myself out of it, though, and come to you today with a brand new chapter! This one isn't from the movie, and I'm not sure that it's super significant or anything, but I wanted to write it anyway. It's just kind of about Hermione and what she's thinking after their trip to Godric's Hollow. The snake is briefly addressed in this chapter and how Harry's possible death affected her a little. Second, I wanted to warn you that this chapter's super short, but I'll be posting a few more chapters right after this one, so you'll have more reading material than just this!

Anyway, I'm sorry again for my long absence and I hope that you enjoy! Thanks so much for your reviews everyone and I look forward to writing even more for you guys!

P.S. I'd like to give a shout-out to **Maggie**! I couldn't message you or anything, but I wanted to let you know that I've seen your reviews and I thank you for them! I really appreciate everything you've said and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story thus far! :D

Happy reading everyone! 3

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER EIGHT<span>**** – Hermione**

She watched as Harry slept peacefully. Though it was rather cold outside, inside the tent it was comfortable, for which Hermione was grateful. It had probably been a while since Harry had slept this soundly, but that was most likely due to the fact that he could have just been killed again.

They had returned from Godric's Hollow about an hour ago. Harry hadn't said anything when he saw that they were in a forest covered in a thin layer of snow, nor had he said anything the entire time that Hermione set up camp. He just stood in the exact same place for all that time, silently staring at the ground. Finally, when Hermione had everything set up, he had mumbled something about being tired and needing to rest, and walked into the tent without another word. She had been confused by his silence, but then again, she really couldn't blame him. Harry had been through a lot in his life so far and it must be frustrating an exhausting to be constantly aware of the danger you were in, to be constantly looking over your shoulder just waiting for the next attack to come.

So here he slept, and Hermione was glad at the sight.

Studying his face, Hermione noticed that he looked younger in sleep, without all of his worries and doubts to cloud his features. He actually looked his age for once. All of the girls at Hogwarts had had a crush on Harry, especially after it came about that he was The Chosen One. Harry was a powerful wizard and everyone was attracted to that power and wanted to have Harry for themselves; Romilda Vane had even gone so far as to try and slip Harry a love potion through chocolate. Plus, Harry's looks didn't hurt either and helped to fuel the lust of the girls at school. With his pale skin, dark hair, and bright blue eyes it was easy to see why anyone would have a crush on Harry; it definitely hadn't stopped Hermione from having a crush on her best friend! Combine those two factors, his power and his looks, along with Harry's personality and heroic nature and he was a boy that girls thought only lived in fiction. Harry was the boy girls had dreamed of, the responsible hero who always knew what to do and would always defeat the villain. Under all of that, though, he was still just a boy, and girls at school seemed to forget that. He wasn't just The Boy Who Lived or The Chosen One; he was a 17-year-old boy who wanted to live a normal life. He didn't want to be the hero, he just wanted to be a teenager like everyone else. Hermione could see that, even if no one else could.

It was nice to see all of his worries gone from his face for a while, and Hermione smiled at how he looked in sleep. Noticing that some of his hair had fallen onto his forehead she couldn't help herself, and slowly Hermione softly brushed it away with the tips of her fingers. For a moment they lingered on his forehead, but she pulled them away after a few seconds, not wanting her touch to wake him. He only got so much sleep and Hermione didn't want to take that away from him.

Getting up from her crouch in front of his bed she walked over to the other room and sat down at the table, thinking. She shivered when her thoughts came upon what had happened at Godric's Hollow. It was all a blur now, but the sight of that snake lunging at Harry had stayed with her. As one of his best friends she had seen Harry come close to death before, but this time seemed different somehow, maybe because of her newly uncovered feelings for him. Before she had always kept her feelings hidden deep down within herself and never acknowledged them, but now that she had brought them out it was hard for her to ignore how truly scared she had been for Harry, different this time than the others. She didn't want to lose him for her own sake, but the world was depending on him and he needed to stay alive for them, too.

Glad that the snake hadn't been able to get to Harry, Hermione got up from the table and walked quietly back into the other room, taking off her shoes and getting into her bed. Turning out the lights Hermione resolved to never think of or speak about the events of tonight again if she could help it. She knew it would haunt her dreams and the last thing she wanted was to have to think of it when she was awake, too. It would make her think of the danger Harry was in, and with the feelings she had for him she would now be ten times more afraid for him than she ever had been. Harry worrying about that was bad enough; she had to be calm for him, and as she fell asleep that night the last thought she had was that she would be, whatever it took.


	9. Chapter 9

So this is a scene from _Deathly Hallows Part 1_. It's the scene where Ron comes back and destroys the horcrux. I know that it's probably pretty annoying for you guys when I write chapters that are from the movie, but I wanted to include it because the horcrux shows Harry and Hermione together and we get to see how angry that makes Ron, so I thought it would show a possible future for the trio ;) I'm twisting the story so you never know, right?

Anyway, enjoy! :)

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER NINE<span>**** – Harry**

Harry was slowly choking. Underwater. Luck really wasn't his thing today.

After returning from Godric's Hollow he had felt especially drained and had gone to sleep it off. Upon waking a few hours later he had seen Hermione fast asleep in her bed and had thought it might be a good idea to keep watch, since he was now awake and all.

Sitting outside was helping to clear his head and allow him to think. Hermione had said it would be a bad idea to head to Godric's Hollow, but they had gone anyway, and while Harry was happy he had finally been able to visit his parents' graves he should have seen the danger with Bathilda coming.

He had been sitting out there only a short while when he saw it: a doe patronus. Harry was confused for a moment, because, as far as he could see, there was nobody but him around. He remembered then that his mother's patronus was a doe, and that him up and following it before he even realized what he was doing.

It took him to a frozen lake and he saw through the ice that the sword of Gryffindor was trapped in the waters below. The sword of Gryffindor! For one second he wondered what it was doing in a random frozen lake, but after that second had passed he was stripping down to his underwear, spelling a hole in the ice that layered the top of the water, and diving in.

He should have known it wouldn't be that easy, though.

As soon as he entered the water the horcrux around his neck went crazy and began to choke him. It was hard enough to swim in frozen water, but with a necklace choking him it became simply impossible. He couldn't swim because all of his thoughts and energy were focused on getting the necklace to release him. The vicinity of the sword wouldn't allow for that, though, and Harry ended up stuck directly underneath the ice, banging on it with everything he had. His energy was starting to fade, though, and he knew that if he didn't get out here soon he would surely pass out and drown.

Just as he was starting to accept his fate he was pulled out of the water by someone and was able to breathe. Gasping for breath Harry stumbled over shakily to his glasses that lay on the ice and put them on, calling, "Hermione?" That was the only conceivable person it could be after all.

Immediately he heard, "Are you mental?" in a voice that filled him with equal happiness and dread.

Stumbling over to his clothes he looked up at Ron. "It was you?"

As he began to pull on his clothes Ron replied, "Well yeah. Be obvious I'd think." It was only then that Harry noticed how dripping wet Ron was, holding the sword of Gryffindor. He must have dived in at some point and retrieved it from the bottom of the lake before rescuing Harry.

"And you cast the doe as well, did you?"

Pausing and looking at him quizzically Ron replied, "No I..I thought that was you."

"No, my patronus is a stag."

Ron nodded. "Right, yeah…antlers," and he gestured to his head the form of a pair of antlers.

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><p>A little while later and fully clothed Harry placed the horcrux necklace down on a rock. "Okay, Ron; do it."<p>

"I can't handle it." As Harry glanced up at him he continued, "I think it affects me more than it affects you and Hermione."

"All the more reason."

"No. I can't."

"Then why are you here?" Harry asked him. He was happy that Ron had returned - and also upset, but he'd address that later – and was glad for his help, but Harry was curious to know the reason he had bothered coming back if he wasn't going to help with the horcruxes. "Why did you come back?"

Saying nothing Ron looked at for a minute, then looked down at the ground, breathing heavily.

Thinking that Ron would tell him when he was ready, Harry moved on. "Now, I'll have to speak to it in order for it to open. When it does _don't hesitate_. I don't know what's in there, but it'll put up a fight. Remember when Riddle was in that diary it tried to kill me."

He watched as Ron struggled to prepare himself, and slowly began to count. "One..two..", Ron raised the sword, "..Three.." And he spoke in parseltongue for the locket to open. It popped open immediately, and out of it exploded a humungous amount of black sludge, the force of it blowing Harry and Ron ten feet back. Harry could no longer see Ron, but he knew that the horcrux was saying something to him, and it probably wasn't good. Moving to a standing position, Harry walked to the side of the tower and heard the end of what it said to Ron, "..by the girl who prefers your friend." That was all he needed to hear.

"Ron! Kill it!" He screamed over the suddenly raging wind, as before their very eyes manifested an image of Harry and Hermione. Harry's eyes widened slightly at the cruel things the manifestations said to Ron, and he yelled to Ron that it was lying, hoping that he remembered what he had to do. Sitting on the ground and leaning against a fallen tree trunk for support against the wind, Harry watched as the image of him and Hermione changed to one of them kissing, and suddenly what was happening was a little too close to home. They kissed each other deeply and passionately, and Harry thought back to how he and Hermione had been doing exactly that just a few days ago, kissing like their lives depended on it. Glancing over to Ron he watched as he angrily stood and raised the sword above his head, slamming it down upon the horcrux.

Seeing that rage over the image of he and Hermione together, Harry prayed he never found out about him and Hermione…at least, not for a while, until Harry could be sure Ron wouldn't kill him on the spot.

Harry stood slowly and walked over to where Ron sat on the ground, sitting beside him.

"Just think," Ron began, "only three more to go."


	10. Chapter 10

Ahhhh, back to my own story now! I really enjoyed this chapter and I hope you do, too! Thanks to everyone for following, favouriting, reviewing, or even reading this story, and more to you if you've been keeping up with it! It truly means the world to me and I'm virtually hugging you all a million times over! You guys keep me going. Thank you! :)

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER TEN<span>**** – Hermione**

She was completely confused. Completely.

When she was a young girl she had always liked Harry. He was kind, cute, and smart, and he was also her friend. Then she set that aside when she knew it would never happen and started to unintentionally like Ron, because even if he made her beyond angry at times, he was still funny and ridiculous and he was her friend. Then Ron left them a few weeks ago and things had changed; Harry had shown an interest and her old feelings for him had come rushing back. Now Ron was back again and he had told that nice story about hearing her voice and coming to find her and Harry, and she was confused. They were both her friends, she liked them both as more than friends, they both liked her (though Ron didn't know that Harry liked Hermione and that Hermione reciprocated those feelings) and she was supposed to choose one? How could she possibly decide? It was so difficult and she didn't know what to do, especially since choosing one would probably mean losing the other as a friend.

As of right now her life officially stunk.

She was sitting outside with a book sitting uselessly in her lap, staring at the forest around her trying to figure out what to do. She would have been sitting on her bed, but with Harry and Ron in there it wouldn't really help matters.

Hearing the crunching of boots coming toward her, Hermione glanced over to where the sound was coming from and saw that it was Harry. Smiling slightly, he sat down beside her, leaning back against the tree trunk she sat in front of.

"You alright?"

Looking away from him she ran a hand through her hair and let out a breath. "Not really." She laughed without humour.

He nodded in understanding and took her hand, playing with her fingers. While it felt nice, she knew they shouldn't do anything with Ron around, and so she pulled her hand away.

His brows furrowed, his hand fell limply back to his side. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just don't think it's a good idea to do anything with Ron around, that's all."

"Right. How are you doing with that?"

"Not as well as I thought I would." Covering her face with her hands she whispered, "I'm so confused."

After a moment Harry pulled her hands away from her face. Using one of his hands he gently turned her face toward him. "I'm pretty sure I can help with that."

Gently placing his hands on both her cheeks he looked into her eyes, and she swore that in that moment she had never seen anything more beautiful than that bright blue colour. As he looked down to her lips his dark lashes fanned his cheeks slightly and she really wanted him to just lean in already!

As he did, though, Hermione remembered what she had promised herself: she wasn't going to kiss Harry again. It had been a mistake the first couple of times and she wasn't going to let him do it again and completely ruin their friendship.

Harry's lips were an inch away when Hermione put a firm hand on his chest and halted his progression. Harry's closing eyes opened abruptly and he looked down at her as if to ask, "What are you doing?"

"No, Harry, we can't." Having said this she stood and began to walk back to the tent. She really didn't want to be alone with Ron right now – she was still angry with him and confused about everything - but it was better than being alone with Harry, who was tempting her to break her promise to herself just by looking at her.

When she was almost back to the tent she felt a hand close around her wrist and she was suddenly pulled to the right, behind a tree and out of view of the tent. Pressed firmly against the trunk of the tree Hermione looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes that were already looking down at her.

"Look, Hermione, I'm sorry. I know you don't want Ron to find out, and neither do I. I shouldn't have done that."

She shook her head, casting her eyes to the ground below them. "No no, it's alright. I'm just really confused right now and don't really know what to do. It's not your fault."

Placing a tender kiss against the underside of Hermione's jaw, Harry asked, "So I'm forgiven?"

Hermione wanted to tell him to be a man and kiss her on the lips, but she knew she shouldn't because that would be breaking her promise, and she didn't want to do that. Plus, they really weren't all that far from the tent and there was the very real possibility that Ron could catch them, even hidden behind the tree as they were. So instead she simply told Harry, "Yes."

Smiling like he had won a medal for something, Harry replied, "Good" and leaned in.

Just as he got within an inch of her lips Hermione stopped him with a hand on his chest once again. Harry pulled back and looked down at her incredulously, eyebrows raised.

Leaning up to where he had pulled back, Hermione got within a few centimeters of his mouth, making them closer than they had been before she'd stopped Harry. She smiled mischievously and breathed against his lips, "Not going to happen, Potter. Only in your dreams."

And that was how Hermione Granger found herself pulling away and saucily walking away from an astonished Harry Potter, his jaw practically on the ground. Granger: 1, Potter: 0.

This was going to be fun.


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone! I know it's been ages since I last updated my story, but the university workload is kicking my butt, haha. Over the next week and a half I have a lot to do, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update within that time, but if not then I'll definitely have time the first week of April since I have no work to do during that time!

Anyway, sorry that I haven't updated recently, but here's a new chapter, followed by another one! Review, favourite, follow, and/or enjoy! :D

P.S. Thanks for sticking with me guys :) It means a lot that you're all still reading and (hopefully) enjoying! Can't thank you all enough!

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER ELEVEN<span> - Harry **

As the sun began to set Harry sat on the beach at Bill and Fleur's house, watching as the waves came in and went back out again. The past couple of days had been so hectic; he had been sitting here for more than an hour just trying to wrap his brain around everything that had happened.

First they had gone to see Xenophilius Lovegood about the triangle/circle/line combination mark and had barely escaped the Death Eaters. Upon apparating to a random forest, though, they were immediately apprehended by a different set of Voldemort's lackeys and taken to Malfoy Manor. Ron and an unrecognizable Harry were put in the dungeon in the basement, but Bellatrix Lestrange had kept and tortured Hermione. Even now, when they were safe again, her screams still haunted Harry.

Then Dobby had shown up and everything seemed like it would finally go their way for once, but when he had rescued the lot of them from Malfoy Manor, Dobby ended up taking a knife to the chest from Bellatrix and was killed.

He had taken a great risk in helping Harry, and he had ended up dead for it.

Everyone else was inside the house, but Harry couldn't be around anyone right now; he needed to be alone with his thoughts and try to think of what they were going to do next. It was becoming increasingly difficult to do, though, when all his mind came back to was hearing Hermione's screams.

For Harry, being tortured and in pain hurt, for sure, but he was growing to expect it now, in a way. Bad things just seemed to follow him wherever he went, especially with Voldemort chasing him down. He could accept that nothing good could happen to him, that horrible things _would_ happen to him. It was less surprising to him now than it had been a few years ago. But for his friends to get tortured, to hear their screams and know there was nothing that he could do about it? That was so much harder to bear and he couldn't accept that.

Hearing Hermione's screams over and over as Bellatrix drew the word "mudblood" into her arm was completely horrifying. Sitting in that dungeon his mind went wild, concocting all sorts of ridiculous plans to get her out of that situation and safe once again. His body, though, became almost entirely rigid, and he could barely move from the shock that encased his body. Hermione – sweet, intelligent, and kind Hermione – was being tortured because of him and there wasn't anything he could do about it. In that moment he vowed he would do whatever it took to get her back to safety and never have her be tortured like that again. Being friends with Harry would probably always put her in some sort of danger, but he would do whatever it took to keep her from that, no matter the cost to himself.

The crashing of the waves against the shore brought Harry back to the present and he pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and resting his chin on top.

He didn't hear her approach, but when she asked if she could sit there was no way he would deny her. After what she had been through because of him she deserved at least that. Truthfully she deserved so much more, but he would give her what he could right now.

"How are you?" Hermione asked him timidly.

Laughing without humour Harry stared at the waves and replied, "Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that?" Turning towards her he gently took her arm in his hand and looked at the red marks that still shone brightly. He knew what she had gone through; Umbridge had used the same technique on him as punishment during his fifth year at Hogwarts. The pain had been unbelievable, but he would have taken Hermione's place in a heartbeat if only to spare her the pain she had gone through. Leaning down he placed a soft kiss against the raw markings.

Looking back out to the waves Harry moved his hand down her arm and took hold of her hand, clutching it tightly.

"No, because I'm perfectly alright." Harry's head turned sharply toward Hermione as she said this, anger lighting his eyes.

"You're not _alright_, Hermione. _This_ is not _alright_."

He heard her sigh and watched as she looked away from him. "Yes, I am. These marks will fade and go away completely after a little while; I don't think they'll end up scarring as she wasn't marking me up for that long. And there's been no permanent damage done. I'll be fine."

When she turned her eyes back to his face the guilt he felt kept him from looking at hers. He stared at their entwined hands instead.

"Hermione," he began thickly, "I'm so..I'm so sorry. That you had to go through that. All because of me. That should never have happened to you." He couldn't say any more; his throat was constricting and keeping the rest of his words from escaping.

He felt her hand on his cheek, urging him to look at her.

Her brown eyes, wide and tear-filled, searched his. "Harry, what happened to me at Malfoy Manor wasn't your fault. Blame no one but Bellatrix for what happened; she was the one who carried it out. You ended up saving me, not putting me in the position I was in. Let go of your guilt, because you shouldn't be carrying it around for an act someone else committed." She gave him a small smile and he felt his lips lift in response.

Patting his knee with her other hand she continued, "Now, I'm starving. I think it's about time we got something to eat, don't you?" With that she stood from where she sat, pulling Harry up beside her. As they walked back up to the house together, hands remaining entwined, Harry felt some of his guilt disappear. He still felt completely responsible for everything else that had happened, but if Hermione said that her torture wasn't his fault then he was choosing to believe her.

He was going to make sure that it never happened again, though; especially not to Hermione. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe from harm from here on out.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE - Hermione**

Hermione couldn't sleep. She had been trying for the past hour, but she couldn't seem to turn her brain off long enough to find some peace.

Earlier in the day she had seen Harry go off by himself to the beach and knew how he must have been feeling; he'd always blamed himself for what she and Ron had lost, the danger they were often in. He made the argument that because he was friends with them everything that had happened in the last seven years was entirely his fault. He took a huge burden upon himself, and she wished that he would understand that nobody blamed him. She and Ron, along with all of their other friends and family, had _chosen_ to stay by Harry's side. He had constantly warned all of them and tried to get them to leave, but they wanted to be part of it, wanted to help him. They had all made the choice to risk the danger to help defeat Voldemort, and Harry needed to see that not one of them blamed him for the situations they were all in.

Knowing that he would blame himself for what had happened at Malfoy Manor, Hermione had gone down a little while later and set him straight, telling him that she was fine and there was no permanent damage done.

In all truth, though, Hermione wasn't so sure. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange, sneering at her as she dug words into Hermione's arm. Every time she got close to falling asleep she remembered the pain that had shot right through her, the tears and screams she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

She felt haunted, and she didn't think she could get through tonight if she was sleeping by herself. She didn't want to be alone, and maybe having someone else with her would take away the horror she kept remembering and the nightmares she knew she would have.

Slowly sitting up in her bed, Hermione pulled her blankets off and scooted to the edge. The wood floor was cold on her bare feet and she shivered, deciding to take one of her blankets with her. Wrapping it around her she picked up her wand, saying, "Lumos" and making her way to the door without bumping into anything with the help of the light coming from her wand.

Opening the door was difficult because of the fact that the hinges desperately needed to be oiled, but she was able to do so with a minimum amount of sound thankfully. She made her way to Harry's room quietly. When she stood in front of his door she once again said, "Lumos" to turn her wand-light off and began to turn his doorknob, really hoping that he didn't have a squeaky door like hers!

He didn't, and once she got into his room she closed the door softly behind her. Where Hermione had her curtains drawn Harry had his open, and she was very glad of it as she could see most of the things in the room from just the light of the moon, and, therefore, wouldn't be bumping into anything and scaring him awake. That wouldn't be the best way to wake a person up in the middle of the night!

Padding quietly over to his bed Hermione gently nudged Harry in an attempt to wake him. Lost in sleep he was facing her, the light of the moon shining on his face. Hermione was surprised he was even able to sleep like that. A lock of his hair had fallen into his eyes, as it often did, and not being able to resist Hermione pushed it back with just the tips of her fingers, which lingered on his forehead. Looking at him now she felt a flutter in her chest and her cheeks heat up; this really wasn't helping the crush she had.

Perhaps sensing her presence, Harry sleepily opened his eyes, and upon seeing Hermione he woke up most of the way. She quickly snatched her hand back, cheeks flaming up even more upon being found like that.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry sat up in bed, reaching for his glasses on the nightstand and turning on the lamp.

"Nothing." She was quick to answer because Harry was starting to look a little worried.

"Oh," he sighed in relief. Looking at her curiously he followed this with, "What are you doing here then?"

She looked down at her feet and began fiddling with her hands. "I just don't want to be alone right now. I can't sleep." She whispered.

She couldn't see Harry's expression, but he paused a moment, then replied, "Well alright then. You can sleep in my bed with me." He scooted over to make room for her.

Needing no more of an invitation than that Hermione slid into the bed, laying her head on her half of the pillow. Turning to her side and facing the window, Hermione felt the bed move and watched as Harry's arm came into her view, placing his glasses on the nightstand once again and turning out the light. As his arm moved away she caught his hand without thinking, and they both froze; she wasn't even sure either of them were breathing. Hermione came out of it rather quickly, though, and clasped his hand, bringing it to rest with hers on her collarbone. Seeing what she wanted, Harry laid down behind her, moving his other arm to underneath her head. They were spooning, and, as corny as it was, a wave of utter peace and calm washed over Hermione. Harry rested his head between her neck and shoulder and she felt him breathe what sounded like a sigh of happiness. His breathing soon slowed and she could feel it on her neck, a feeling which she could tell was gradually putting her to sleep.

Briefly Hermione thought to wonder why her first instinct had been to come to Harry and not Ron, but sleep was fast claiming her. As her eyes drifted shut Hermione's last thought was of how nice it felt being like this with Harry and how perfectly they fit together, almost as if they were made for one another.


	13. Chapter 13

Hello ladies and gents!

So I know that I said at the beginning of Chapter 11 that I'd only be posting two chapters tonight, but I couldn't help myself! I had this one already written and wanted to share it with you guys, mostly because I think it's an awesome chapter! You get to see some Harry/Hermione action! And not _that_ kind of action!...At least not yet, anyway! ;)

Anyway, I didn't want to withhold, so I really hope you guys enjoy this one! It was so fun to write and imagine what was going on! I probably didn't convey it nearly as well as I saw it in my head, but I tried!

Happy reading, and let me know what you think! If you have any suggestions as to what they should do when the time comes (***winkwink***), put it in a review or inbox me and I'll do my best to include it! (**unless it's something super gross and graphic; I don't plan on including any kinky 50 Shades stuff**)

Thanks everyone!

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER THIRTEEN<span> – Harry**

As Harry woke up the next morning the first thing he felt was confused. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he was positive there was someone else in his bed with him, and he didn't remember anyone getting into bed with him last night.

But then he opened his eyes and he could feel the rise and fall of whoever he was sleeping on as they breathed in and out, and he remembered. Last night Hermione had come to him and said she didn't want to be alone. His best guess was that she had been lying on the beach when she said she was fine, and that her trauma was keeping her awake. Harry had often had the same problem, but mostly about the trouble he had caused the people he cared about.

Slowly he lifted his head from her neck and looked down at Hermione. She was on her side, with her hair splayed out behind her head and over his arm, her lips slightly parted. The hand that clasped his did so tightly, even in sleep, and he could sense how much his presence had helped her. The sun shone brightly on her face and she was beautiful.

He knew what his attraction to her must look like from her viewpoint: sudden and fleeting. He had just broken up with Ginny less than half a year ago and this was just his loneliness getting to him; Hermione was the hopeful rebound girl. That was the thing, though; she wasn't just a rebound girl to him. In all truth he had started noticing his feelings for Hermione a while ago, but he had been with Ginny at the time and didn't want to hurt her. On top of that, Ron had had a thing for Hermione for a long time and he didn't want to get in the way of that.

Everything that had happened recently had made him change his mind, however, and when Ron had left and it was just him and Hermione he couldn't help himself. He needed her to finally know what he had been feeling for her for the past year.

He hadn't counted on what it would look like to Hermione, though.

Now, waking up with her like this, he hoped she would finally realize that she wasn't just some fleeting crush to him; she was everything. Yes, he had been with Ginny and he cared for her, but once his feelings for Hermione had begun it hadn't taken him long to figure out that his feelings for Ginny were tame and young. His feelings for Hermione were vastly different…the only safe way to describe it was "mature". With her he felt different things and wanted different things; nothing that friends wanted, that was for sure.

Now he just had to show Hermione that, show her that he was 100 percent serious about her and wanted a real relationship, not a rebound. With the way things had gone down between them so far it might be a difficult feat, but he was willing to do whatever it took to prove to it to her.

He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to the side of her neck, wishing she could read his thoughts. Maybe then she'd get it.

Hermione stirred and blinked her eyes open, turning her head toward him and out of the glare of the sun. Seeing him already looking at her she smiled slightly. "Were you watching me sleep? Because I've got to say that that's a little bit creepy."

He grinned down at her. "I _was_ watching you sleep, and if that makes me creepy then fine. I'm creepy."

She rolled her eyes and made to turn her head away, back to the light coming in from the window, when Harry caught her lips with his in a kiss. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She obviously hadn't been expecting it because she was frozen for five whole seconds before she returned his kiss. When she did, though, it was absolutely fantastic. Their lips fitted each other perfectly, and Harry wondered if they could read each other's minds after all, because every time one of them moved one way the other person moved the opposite way instinctively. It was like they were made to kiss one another.

Turning her body slightly more towards him, Hermione ran her hand (the one not still currently clasping his) through his hair. Grabbing the back of his neck suddenly, she pulled his head down until he was practically laying down on top of her.

It was all the encouragement Harry needed.

He deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his own and marveling at the taste of her. He kissed her hard and was starting to come alive in places that hadn't done that when he was with Ginny. She moaned into his mouth and arched against him; it was enough to drive any guy wild!

Harry unclasped their hands, grabbing her hips and rolling over so that she was on top of him instead of the other way around; this was much better! Keeping her hips in a tight hold he continued to kiss her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered, and in a sense she was. All he could smell, taste, and feel was Hermione.

He was only a little bit surprised when she moved to straddle him and grabbed the sides of his face in her hands, kissing him back in the same exact way. Harry sat up and took Hermione with him, grabbing the tops of her thighs to pull her even closer. She gasped, moving one arm to run down his back and the other to clasp his neck once again, making some movements against him that were anything but friendly. This caused him to move his hands even higher and finally notice that she was wearing sleep shorts, and they were so short that even with his hands practically on her butt he still hadn't felt the material and was still touching her bare skin. The realization almost did more to him than her noises had.

Harry felt her tilt his head back slightly and kiss him deeper still, if that was even possible at this point. They couldn't get enough of each other, and he wasn't sure how far this was going to go before one of them stopped it. He wasn't even sure that he _wanted_ them to stop.

It turned out that the decision wasn't up to them, though. "Harry, do you know where – "

At the sound of Ron's voice and the abrupt stop in the middle of his sentence, Harry and Hermione pulled their mouths apart and looked over to where his voice had come from. Ron stood in the now open doorway, eyes wide and mouth open, completely disbelieving of what he was seeing. His expression quickly changed to one of sadness and then to anger, filled with open hurt and betrayal.

"I was going to ask you if you knew where Hermione went, but it seems you've found her…" Ron paused, eyes flicking down to where Harry's hands still rested. "Among other things." With that he stalked out of Harry's bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

Shocked, Harry and Hermione looked back at each other, their previous lust long forgotten.

"Well, it seems we've been found out." Harry swallowed thickly, unsure of what else he could say in the current situation.

Hermione only nodded, and rate with which her eyes were filling up with tears clued Harry into the fact that that was really all she _could_ do without crying.

"I suppose I should go talk to him now, try to sort this out."

"Oh! Yes! I'll go with you!" Hermione swiped at her eyes, wiping away a few leaked tears and moving to get off of him.

Pulling her back to him, Harry said quietly, "He's more angry at me than you. I need to sort this out with him, to explain myself, and I think it's best if I go alone; seeing us together probably wouldn't help the situation, anyway."

She shook her head and turned away with a guilty look on her face, "Yes, of course, you're right. It's probably best that you talk with him alone." She moved off of him and he stood up from the bed putting on his shoes; he already had his pajama shirt and pants on so he didn't have to do much to look decent for public eyes. Leaning down he kissed Hermione gently as another tear slipped out. As he pulled away she sniffled.

"You know, he'll never forgive us for this," she whispered sadly.

Wiping away her tear with his thumb, Harry inwardly agreed with her; the betrayed expression on Ron's face had really said it all. Outwardly, however, all he said was, "Never say never, Hermione." And he left to go find the person who he hoped was still his best friend.


	14. Chapter 14

Hello again everyone! Long time no write, huh? I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to update, but I contracted a little bit of writer's block once again :( I kept trying to write and just couldn't seem to find the words. I have been writing a little bit lately, though, and actually managed to finish a couple of chapters! It was fun getting back into the swing of things and I really think you guys are going to enjoy these next few chapters! If not, then I'm sorry to have gotten your hopes up. I honestly believe that you'll enjoy them, though, especially this one as it contains a little bit of violence. Nothing too detailed, mind you, as I know basically nothing about fighting maneuvers and stuff, but there's some punching and whatnot. I hope you enjoy!

So, just to recap, in the last chapter Hermione and Harry woke up together and then basically started making out. As they started to get a little more serious with it and looked like they could take it further, Ron popped and in and ruined the whole thing. He got angry at them and Harry then left to go find him and try to explain himself. That's where we're at so far :)

This is the first chapter I've written from Ron's perspective. I'm probably not going to write a ton of them from his point of view, but I felt that it worked well to get into Ron's mind a little bit and see things his way. Plus, we've seen so much from Harry's and Hermione's eyes that it's nice to have a change everyone once in a while!

Anyway, thanks to everyone still keeping up with this story; you guys are the best! I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for so long, but I promise that I'll do my best to update more often and not leave you hanging for 3 months again!

I really hope the story's still interesting to you guys, and if you ever have any plot-line suggestions just send me a message! I'm always open to that! Seriously, though, thank you to everyone for putting up with me, and if you've read this whole author's note then you're even more amazing!

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER FOURTEEN<span>**** – Ron**

Ron stood at the edge of the waves rolling onto the beach, roughly attempting to skip rocks and failing miserably.

Cautiously Harry made his way over to him, giving him the chance to hear him coming and take off. He didn't, though, and instead stood his ground, staring out at the water. Absentmindedly Ron thought on whether or not he should pummel Harry with the rock in his hand, thought better of it, but still imagined that it would feel really good for at least a little while.

Harry stopped beside him—at a distance, he noticed—blocking the wind that had begun to pick up. "What do you want, traitor?"

"Look, Ron, I can explain—"

"Unless you can tell me that the two of you were somehow snogging in your sleep and didn't mean to do it, I don't want to hear it."

"That wasn't what I was going to say—"

"Then don't even bother sayi—"

"—because us snogging was no accident."

Eyes wide Ron turned sharply to look at Harry incredulously. Harry stood tall and rigid, staring at Ron with no hint of backing down any time soon. The look on his face was not unapologetic exactly, but it definitely wasn't asking for Ron's forgiveness either. If anything it looked to Ron like Harry was feeling sorry and guilty for what Ron had happened upon, but not sorry that he had done it. Ron's face hardened and he asked Harry bluntly, "You're not even sorry, are you?"

Taking a moment, Harry breathed in slowly and answered him honestly. "No."

Laughing without humour Ron turned away from him because the sight of his face was causing Ron to feel even more riled up than he already was; it only reminded him of the deep sting of betrayal. "Well at least you were honest about _that_!"

"Ron, I never lied to you."

"You didn't tell me about the two of you either."

"But—"

"And d'you know what the worst part is? _Neither_ of you did! Hermione had the chance to tell me as well, and still neither of you said _anything_!"

"We were going to tell you—"

"Oh, you were, were you? When? After you had officially sealed the deal, if you know what I mean?"

"No, Ron, of course not! We—"

"And that's another thing! What's with all this 'we' business? Are the two of you a couple now?" Ron scoffed and glanced away for a moment, saying his next words with a sneer. "If so, I apologize for my belated congratulations!"

"Ron, you're being—"

"What, Harry? What, _exactly_, am I being? For once in this whole conversation why don't you actually go ahead and say something! Unless you're too cowardly—"

"Ron, you're being bloody rude! _That's_ what I was going to say! And as for not saying anything: you wouldn't bloody well let me, now would you! Every time I was able to get two words out you jumped in and cut me off, so how do you expect me to address the things you're saying when I can't even get a complete sentence out of my mouth? Just shut it and listen to me!"

As his speech came to a close Ron's mouth was left hanging open as he stared at Harry, whose chest was rising and falling rapidly with the anger and adrenaline flooding through him. Ron remained silent while Harry calmed himself down, trying to think of something to say in reply to that, but coming up with a blank. He had only seen Harry react similarly to that once, two years ago when Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius and Harry took off to kill her. The two situations were very different and he was obviously angrier over the death of his godfather, but that was the closest comparison Ron had.

Harry's breathing was once again normal, but he remained rigid and unyielding, his eyes hard as flint. "You can be a right bloody git sometimes, you know that?"

As soon as the words popped out of Harry's mouth, Ron knew he had had it. His hands tightening into fists at his sides, Ron fought the powerful urge to punch Harry. _He_ was calling _Ron_ a git? Screw him! _And_ this conversation! He was just done, with all of it. "You know what? I'm done. With you, with Hermione, with this conversation..everything." And he turned and began to walk away from Harry down the beach.

Over his shoulder he heard Harry yell to him, "Real brave of you, Ron, waking away from your friends instead of dealing with the issues between us!"

Ron turned sharply around and marched back to Harry, getting right up in his face and speaking in a low and dangerous voice. "I have no reason to talk to you anymore because we're _not_ friends. Friends don't stab other friends in the back like you did, and they sure as hell don't put them through what I've been through in the last seven years. And as for the _issues_ between us: I don't care anymore. Do what you like. I'm. Done. Go ahead and screw Hermione for all I care; you probably already have anyw—"

One second Ron was right up in Harry's face and the next he was roughly being pushed away by Harry, whose face had contorted into an expression of absolute fury. "Don't you dare talk about 'Mione like that!"

Both men shook with the force of their anger and glared at one another, daring them with their eyes to make the next move.

So Ron punched him. _Hard_.

Harry fell to the ground while Ron shook out his hand. That had felt way too good.

He turned away to leave, but only got two steps before he was being tackled to the ground by someone behind him. "Oof!"

He felt himself being flipped around to face his attacker and felt the hard blow of Harry's fist hitting his face. Once. Twice. Three times. **_Okay, enough's enough; I've had it with this prat! If it's a fight he wants then I'll give him a fight!_** Ron started punching back.

Soon they were viciously punching each other, rolling around on the ground with neither holding anything back. It didn't take long for both of their faces to become a complete mess and they lost track of just how many blows they'd each dealt.

"Harry, Ron, stop! _Stop!_" The words didn't really register in Ron's mind, but next thing he knew Harry was being pulled off of him and held back. As he sat up Ron realized that Hermione was the one screaming at them as she stood in front of Harry. Ron noticed her posture and froze.

Standing in front of Harry, Hermione faced him with her back to Ron. She was still wearing the sleep shorts and tank top from earlier, but she had managed to throw on a loose pullover sweater and a pair of grey Converse sneakers, putting her hair in a messy ponytail. Ron got distracted momentarily by the sight of her backside, barely covered by her shorts, but shook himself out of it quickly. She was raised slightly on her toes with her body pressed tightly up against Harry's, her right hand resting on his chest while the other grasped the back of his neck, causing him to look at her face whether he wanted to or not. He looked intently into her eyes as she spoke softly to him, a look of utter calm plastered on his face where Ron had seen rage written all over it only moments ago.

Upon taking in the whole scene the scowl on Ron's face deepened, his upper lip curled in resentment. He realized briefly that in that moment he was extremely jealous of Harry (as if that was anything new), but he pushed that aside; he would never admit it to anyone, especially right now.

Ron watched as Harry nodded at Hermione and glanced at him over her shoulder. Looking back to her face he gave her a small smile and Ron felt his resentment grow.

Patting his chest lightly a couple of times Hermione lowered herself and turned around to face Ron. He didn't miss the fact that Harry immediately grabbed hold of her hand and that she kept a tight hold on his.

"Ron, I know that you're upset, but could we please talk this out? Calmly?" Hermione says to him with sympathy in her eyes.

"I think we've just about said everything that needs to be said," he responded resolutely, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to be anywhere but here. Don't talk to me unless you need my help to save the world." And with that he turned and walked away from them.

When Hermione yelled to his retreating back "Ron, wait!" he felt the first drops of sadness touch him since he had walked in on the two of them in the bedroom. He had feelings for Hermione, and even though he didn't know what exactly those feelings might be he knew that she knew about them. Maybe she even felt them, too, in which case she should have had the decency to tell him about her and Harry. Instead, Ron had walked in on an intimate moment between them, and that stung. The secrecy about it definitely didn't help. So when Hermione yelled to him to wait he didn't even hesitate; he just kept walking. She hadn't bothered to wait for him so he wasn't about to waste his time waiting for her. It had been a mistake these past few years and he wouldn't repeat it.

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><p>Sooooo, what do you guys think of this development? Any thoughts on the tear in the friendship between Ron, Harry, and Hermione? Do you think Ron will end up forgiving Harry and Hermione? Also, do you think I did okay with the British lingo? I looked up some of the words I knew to make sure they meant what I thought they did, but if anyone sees something that doesn't make sense please let me know ASAP. And don't mind the u in certain words, like "honour". It's the Canadian way of spelling it ;)<p>

As always, please favourite, follow, or review, and if you'd rather not do that then just keep on reading! There's still plenty more to come!


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**** - Hermione**

Harry took a sharp intake of breath as the wet cloth came into contact with his bloody nose. Hermione froze her hand where it was, gently resting underneath his nose where the blood was beginning to dry. The last thing she wanted was to put him in pain, especially when he was probably in enough already.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"It's alright. Not your fault, 'Mione." He smiled slightly at her to show her it was okay, but she wasn't sure if he should really be doing that considering the state of his face. On top of one very bloody nose Harry also had a cut on his lip and a swollen left eye, and Hermione could already see a couple of bruises beginning to form. He was going to be a complete mess by the time tomorrow came.

"Harry," she began hesitantly as she continued to clean his nose up, "what happened out there? I mean, I knew it wouldn't be an easy conversation between the two of you, but I never imagined that it would end the way it did. Why did you end up hitting each other?"

He didn't say anything right away, and the silence went on for so long that Hermione didn't think he _would_ say anything. After a few minutes had passed, though, he answered her. "He said something I didn't like."

Hermione leaned back in the chair she was sitting on across from him and put the cloth on the table beside them. It didn't sound at all like Harry to hit someone over a comment, unless that someone was Malfoy. She felt a little surprised that Harry would have gotten so angry so easily. "You punched him for saying something?"

He sighed. "Don't look at me like that, Hermione."

"Like what?"

"Like you're disappointed in me or something. What he said was completely rude and uncalled for. 'Sides, he threw the first punch; I just kept the fight going after that."

"…Well, what did he say?"

"Hermione—"

"Harry, what did he say?"

"Look, it's really nothing for you to worry about, Hermione. Just know that he got what he deserved for what he said. I probably should have done worse to his face, if I'm being completely honest."

"If what he said was really that bad then you have to tell me." At the reluctant look on his face she continued forcefully, "Look, Harry, I'm not some child you need to protect. I'm not fragile and I won't break just because we're in a bad situation or something awful happens. I think I've proven that these past seven years. I won't let this go so you may as well just tell me what he said now instead of stalling more."

She looked into his face and waited patiently; he knew she had him now, and she knew that he knew this from the defeated expression he wore.

Harry cast his eyes down, looking at his clasped hands that lay in his lap. "He said something about the two of us, something intentionally cruel that I didn't enjoy hearing."

"What was so bad about what he said?"

Harry paused, raising his eyes to glance anywhere but at her and running his hand roughly through his hair. "If he had said anything, anything at all, about me that would have been fine. I could have dealt with it and let him get it off his chest. I'm used to people saying things about me. But what he said wasn't just about me, and that's why I lost it."

"So he said something about someone else? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"…Who was he talking about?"

"Well…he said something about…the two of us. But he insinuated something about you."

Hermione thought to herself about what Ron could have said. There was definitely a lot of material on her more annoying personality traits, like her perfectionism, but somehow she knew that wasn't the kind of thing Ron would talk about in this situation. Considering what he had walked in on earlier, her best guess was that what he'd said had something to do with that.

Mentally preparing herself for what she was about to hear, Hermione leaned forward again and asked what she had been asking for the past five minutes. "What did he say, Harry? And I want all of it; don't leave anything out just to spare my feelings."

Also leaning forward, Harry reached for her hands and intertwined their fingers. His touch felt nice, warm and comforting, but Hermione inwardly scolded herself and focused on what Harry was about to say.

"He told me to go ahead and—" He swallowed thickly before continuing, "To go ahead and 'screw' you, and that it didn't matter because I probably already had anyway."

Without meaning to Hermione gasped and quickly covered her mouth with one of her hands. Harry's eyes flashed as he scanned her face, but all Hermione could think about was what Ron had said. Why would he say such a thing? She knew he was upset with the two of them, but she had to admit that the fact that he would say that stung.

She told herself to be calm and took her hand away from her mouth, placing it back in Harry's and keeping her gaze on it as he rubbed soothing circles with his thumb. "So he acted like sex isn't a big deal and that we'd done it before…I understand why that would bother you, but why did it drive you to fight him? What did he imply specifically about _me_?"

"By saying what he did the way he did it, he was basically calling you easy, making it seem like you would sleep with someone so soon after a first kiss. And I know he was angry, but that's no excuse for him to say something like that about you!"

Where Hermione had been frowning before, the last sentence made her smile. Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived, Chosen One, and _Knight in Shining Armour_? The thought made her smile even brighter; who knew?

"Ahh. So you defended my honour?"

His lips lifted slightly and his face brightened. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Getting up from her chair Hermione leaned over Harry, who was sitting down, and gently took his face in both of her hands, taking care not to put any pressure on his bruises. "Look, I don't really care what Ron said. He had every right to be upset and he needed to get it out. Maybe he'll forgive us, maybe he won't, but we won't worry about that right now because we have more important things to focus on. Like your poor face." She laughed slightly and he smiled in return. She kissed his cheek softly and looked into his eyes. "Thank you for defending me."

"No need to thank me for that. Any man would have done the same."

"All the same, thank you. But don't go doing it again! I'd rather there wasn't any permanent damage to your face." She smirked at him. "Now, let me take care of you and then we can get to bed," and with that she picked up the cloth once again and began to wipe at the now completely dried blood under his nose.

"But we just woke not long ago."

"After what's happened so far today I think a nap is called for."

"Oh, okay."

After a few minutes had passed Harry piped up. "So I noticed you said 'we' can get to bed."

"Mmhmm."

"Does that mean you'll be sleeping in my bed again?" She didn't miss the hopeful look in his eyes as he asked this.

"Yes, well, I enjoyed the warmth of your arms so much last night that I'd rather not be deprived of them again. At least, not yet."

His eyes crinkled in the corners as he grinned at her, not seeming to care about his face at the moment, and she couldn't help but smile even wider back at him. "I'm glad," he replied.


	16. Chapter 16

Wooowwww, so it's been quite a while since I updated last! I'm so sorry for continuously putting you guys through these waiting periods, but I've honestly been battling some serious motivation issues, lol. That's the only way I can think of to describe it. Rest assured, though, that I will always come back and will never leave you hanging for good; you guys are the biggest motivation I have and half the time the only reason I keep writing is because of you, my amazing and patient readers :D That and the fact that I hate to leave anything unfinished, haha.

So, after a long while, I've finally finished another chapter and I'll try my best not to lose motivation again (at least not like I have been). It's hard sometimes because I don't plan anything and just write as I go, but on the other hand it's kind of fun because even _I_ don't know where things are going until I'm actually writing it!

****Something to note: I have recently changed this story from an M rating to a T. I just didn't want to get into anything too sexually explicit so I figured it would be a good idea to change it. I apologize if this upsets anyone, but I hope by this point that y'all like my story enough to keep reading anyway! If not, though, I understand :)****

Anyway, please bear with me as I continue this story slowly but surely, and I'll be sure to keep writing something worth reading! Now, without further ado, behold the next chapter of this story! I hope you like it!

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER SIXTEEN<span>**** – Harry**

It had been over a week since Harry had seen Ron, when they'd had their fight. He hadn't shown up once since then and though Harry would never admit it aloud, he hoped Ron was okay and somewhere safe. He didn't know if he'd ever forgive him for what he had said or if their friendship could last after what had happened, but he still cared enough about Ron to be a little bit worried.

On the other hand, though, he and Hermione were doing just fine without him.

The day after Ron disappeared Harry and Hermione had paid a visit to Griphook, the goblin they'd saved from Malfoy Manor. There was something odd about Bellatrix Lestrange's behaviour there when she'd thought they might have found a way into her vault at Gringotts. How agitated and unstable she had acted…Harry had a sneaking suspicion there was something particularly special hidden inside her vault, something she most definitely didn't want found, and after speaking with Griphook his suspicion was confirmed.

Bellatrix had a horcrux in her vault. Now all they had to do was find a way to break into Gringotts and one high-security vault and another of their many problems would disappear. Of course, after locating this horcrux they also had to hand over the sword of Gryffindor as payment for Griphook's help, after which they would need to find something else to destroy the horcruxes.

Sure. Piece of cake.

Fortunately, Hermione thought up a way for them to infiltrate Gringotts, and as luck would have it she also was already in possession of the hair she required. She would use a stolen hair from Bellatrix Lestrange to drink in polyjuice potion (brewed and stored in her bag prior to their adventure for emergency situations) and she would simply demand to be taken to her vault. It was brilliant really, in how simple but effective it would be, and Harry told her so. One of the number of things he loved about her was her intelligence.

Sitting in Bill and Fleur's kitchen late that night, as they worked out the finer details of their plan, Harry said what had been on his mind since Hermione had proposed her idea. "Hermione, I'd like to be there with you."

"Of course you'll be there with me, Harry," she replied with a confused smile on her face.

"No, I mean I want to be there with you and have other people see it too. I don't want to go with you while hiding under my cloak of invisibility."

"Harry—"

"And I know you think it's a bad idea, but it's not like I'd be going as myself or anything; I'd be under disguise like you would be. That way you'll have a back-up and nobody will even try to mess with you."

Hermione placed her hand on his knee and Harry did his best to ignore the tingles her touch shot through his leg. Sighing quietly and giving him a small smile Hermione said gently, "Harry, I understand where you're coming from, truly I do, but we both know that it just isn't a good idea for you to be out in the open like that. We can't run the risk of anyone spotting you. Besides, I'll be disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange; who would want to mess with her?" She pulled him in for a hug and breathed softly in his ear, "You have nothing to worry about."

As she rubbed his back he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, never wanting this moment to end. Hermione was always so kind and her presence was one of the only things that could calm him down, even as an eleven-year-old boy when he'd first met her. He'd never told anybody that out of fear they would take it the wrong way, and he found it ironic that now the "wrong way" was the exact way it _should_ be taken. He drew her tight to him and buried his face in her shoulder, glad that he could hug her like this without feeling any hint of awkwardness.

All too soon, though, she pulled away and he regrettably sat back in his chair. Looking around the room, at the cozy and welcoming atmosphere Bill and Fleur had created in their home, Harry was glad that his most recent refuge hadn't been found out. If it stayed that way the married couple could live here and raise their children for the rest of their lives if they so wished; he would never forgive himself if anything otherwise happened.

Looking back to Hermione he saw her twiddling with her fingers and began to wonder why when it suddenly came to him: she was nervous. The question was, why? Hermione didn't really get nervous for too much because she was usually prepared, so that meant she'd had a thought or something that left her with an unpredictable outcome.

Even before she spoke Harry had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but after she began hesitantly, "Harry," the pit deepened further and he knew he wasn't going to like her next sentence.

"Harry," she tried again, "I had a thought, one that might help. If you're so worried about me and the plan and want someone to be in disguise…well, I was thinking that maybe we could contact Ronald and—"

Ahh, now her agitation made sense. "Absolutely not."

"Hear me out before—"

"Hermione, if it involves Ron then I don't need to hear you out. The answer is no."

"But he could help us—"

"And his involvement could also hurt us."

She looked at him skeptically. "How could he hurt us by helping?"

"Because, Ron's unpredictable and unstable right now, especially where it concerns the two of us. He's angry, he's hurt, and above all else who knows what he'll do if we make him even more so while we go through with this plan."

She stood up so suddenly that it took Harry a second to even process the fact that she wasn't in her chair anymore. "Ron wouldn't do that! He might be angry with us, but when it comes to something as important as this he wouldn't screw things up over something petty like that! He has his flaws like anyone else, but he's still a good person, Harry!"

Harry scrutinized her carefully. Flushed cheeks, fisted hands, mouth set in a firm line, eyes blazing…she was getting truly upset now and all over a conversation about _Ron_.

His eyes narrowed and he stood up slowly. "Why are you singing his praises?"

The question seemed to take her by surprise and she blinked. "What?"

"Exactly what I said: why are you singing his praises? Telling me Ron wouldn't do that because he's a good person and whatnot; why are you saying these things and acting so pro-Ron, especially after what he said?"

Her eyebrows drew down over confusion-muddled brown eyes as she replied, "Because I honestly believe Ron's a good person and wouldn't do that. Why else? Ron's our friend."

"Everybody makes mistakes, Hermione."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Harry took a step closer to her and now_ he_ was the one with the balled-up fists. "Do you like him?"

"Of course I like him, he's our friend! What kind of a question is that?"

"Hermione, do you _like_ _him_?"

He saw her eyes widen and her mouth drop open as she understood what he meant. "Is _that_ what this is all about?" She exclaimed incredulously. "It's not at all that you think Ron's unpredictable right now because we've hurt him! You don't want him around because you're _threatened_ by him!"

Harry scoffed and looked away from her, crossing his arms. "Hardly."

"I'm right, aren't I?"

He turned towards her again sharply. "And what reason could I possibly have to be threatened by Ron?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you think I'm _in love with him_?"

"Are you?"

Silence. Harry stood right in front of Hermione, barely any space between them, waiting for an answer as his chest heaved with quick and ragged breaths. The question had just popped out without any thought on his part and now there was complete silence. Based on that alone Harry couldn't find it in himself to regret asking it. It wasn't a good sign for his relationship with Hermione if she was hesitating answering that question, but it was better for him to know now, no matter how much it hurt.

**_So it all comes down to this, one question with a simple answer, and she can't even reply. Is this the end for us? I don't know if I can see us coming back from this…_**

After what felt like years of silence, but was really only mere seconds, Hermione finally stuttered an answer. "W-what are y-you t-talking about? Why w-w-would I be i-in love with Ron?" She began to laugh, getting a bit hysterical. "W-what a s-s-silly question, Harry!"

Part of him breaking from her hesitation and obvious stuttering, Harry answered her hopelessly, "Yeah, how silly of me."

Silence once again filled the room, but this time neither of them seemed to know what to say to break it. After all, what _could_ be said? Hermione had basically admitted that she was in love with Ron when she was supposed to be in some sort of a relationship with Harry, and Harry had been the one to figure it out. At this point there wasn't really anything that could be said or done to recover this crumbling romance.

Clearing his throat, Harry looked away from her guilt-ridden face and noticeably put some distance between them, stepping back a few feet. When he finally glanced at her again she had her eyes glued to the floor, and Harry silently thanked everyone he could think of for that. He just couldn't lock eyes with her right now; even just being in the same room with her and this atmosphere was suffocating.

"Well, I guess I have my answer then."

"Harry—"

"Wow, it's quite late, isn't it? I'd better be getting to bed. Big day tomorrow! G'night," he said abruptly, cutting off anything Hermione wanted to say. He needed to get out of here, be alone with his thoughts and come up with a way to forget the past couple of weeks and pretend they'd never happened. If Hermione had changed her mind then so be it, but that didn't mean Harry had to lose another friend over it.**_ I'll just act like nothing ever happened between us other than normal things that friends do. Yes, that's the only way for us to behave even close to normal around each other, and the only possible way for me to stay sane._** As he fled from the kitchen and made his way to his bedroom he noticed an ache in his chest, like he had been stabbed and the life was slowly bleeding out of him. Yes, it would probably hurt for quite a while, but he would get past it. In the meantime he would only spend as much time with Hermione as he had to and then act towards her with nothing but friendship.

As he lay in bed finally drifting off the only hope he could cling to was that he would get over Hermione and forget her affections. He _had_ to.

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><p>So, what'd you guys think? Is that a good cliffhanger or what? I thought so, because Harmony's relationship sounds like it's toast, but maybe it wasn't really that good...Either way, please let me know! Knowing you guys are waiting for me to update keeps me going, but reviews are always amazing to get too and PMs are more than welcome! I love each and every person who gives this story a chance and love the people who keep up with it even more! Thank you to every single person who has favourited or followed this story; you all deserve huge hugs, and if I was with any of you right now I totally would!...No really, I love hugs ;) But seriously, thank you all and I'll (hopefully) be updating ASAP, so stay tuned!<p>

P.S. I haven't written this in a while so I guess I should write it again - **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I'm simply using them to fulfill the lovely dream of Harmony that some people enjoy. Everything other than some of the dialogue, everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling :)**

P.P.S. Just in case anyone doesn't know, "Harmony" is the ship name for Harry and Hermione (at least it's the one I found... :P)


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